The Prince Family Cauldron
by DarylDixon'sgirl1985
Summary: Severus Snape is given something special that has been passed down from parent to child for centuries for his first year of Hgwarts. Written for both Lineage Studies: What's in a Name? assignment and Fortnightly Challenges Thread's Snape Appreciation Challenge on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


**Hey everyone. This story was written for both Lineage Studies: What's in a Name? assignment and Fortnightly Challenges Thread's Snape Appreciation Challenge on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I choose to write task one for Lineage Studies which was to write about an object that has been passed through at least three generations of a family. (This can be cannon or made up.) Restrictions are no using Harry's Invisibility cloak. For the Snape Appreciation Challenge I wrote for Shelf 4 15. Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and the task to use the words greasy, black and potion. I hope you all enjoy The Prince Family Cauldron.**

He had been excited when he got his letter saying he was accepted to Hogwarts. He had heard his mother telling all sort of stories about her time there as a young girl. It seemed like the funnest place on the earth to him. Anywhere that wasn't home was fun to him though. He watched as his mother gathered their limited funds. He knew he'd have to make due with second best. It had always been that way since his father left them when he was but a baby.

"Come along, Severus," she scowled at him as she motioned him to step into the fireplace so they could Floo to Leaky Cauldron.

That was another reason that Severus Snape didn't much like home. He felt his mother blamed him him for his father leaving. Like if Severus hadn't come along that would make things much better. He didn't think so which was the sad thing.

Stepping into the fireplace with his mother he looked up into the cold forbidding face he grew accustom to. Not knowing how to make her happy he took the hand she offered him as she threw the Floo Powder into the fireplace.

"Leaky Cauldron," his mother called out.

In the blink of an eye the mother and son duo were standing in the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron. Someone in the room beyond the fireplace had called his mother who pulled Severus along with her.

"Your boy get accepted to Hogwarts yet?" asked the woman who was an old family friend of his mother's.

His mother nodded. "Just got the letter today," she told her friend. "We're going shopping for his school things. Severus is very excited to be going to school. Aren't you Severus?"

He nodded shyly up at the two women peeking out from behind his greasy black hair.

"I'll let you get on your way then," said the woman walking off in the other direction.

"Come along, Severus," his mother told him leading him through the room to the back of the Leaky Cauldron.

He was about to say that they shouldn't be going out the back when his mother pushed him out the door ahead of her. She started to touch random bricks on the wall and it opened up to reveal a land of wonder that Severus couldn't remember seeing before.

His mother watched him looking around in awe for a little bit. Wanting to take in the awe that her son was in at learning that he was different than the people her husband had them living near. She put her hand on his shoulder and steered young Severus forward.

"Where are going, Mummy?" asked the confused young boy.

"To collect your school things," she told him. "And we also have to stop for something very special at our Gringotts vault."

"What?"

"It's a surprise for you. But we will get that later. First let's get these books taken care of." She lead her son towards Flourish and Blotts. She knew they couldn't afford the newer additions of the books but they'd make due.

Slowly but surely they went through all the stores and bought second editions of everything. Every single thing. Severus Snape knew that he'd be the laughing stock of Hogwarts when he went to school but he wouldn't say that out loud. This was the first time in a long time that he and his mother were actually bonding. The first time it seemed that he had done something to make her happy. He looked back as they passed the store selling cauldron's.

"Mum, don't I need one of those?" he asked pointing back at the cauldron's.

She gave him a slight smile. "I think your surprise might cover that later," she told him with a knowing wink.

He walked a little bit forward catching sight of something he knew she'd definitely say no to. It was a beautiful tawny colored owl in the Owl Emporium. He eyed the owl and thought about asking for it before shaking his head. They probably couldn't afford to buy a rat let alone an owl as beautiful as that.

"You want that owl?" his mother asked. "Don't you, Severus?"

He shyly nodded his head again looking down at his feet.

"Seeing as you won't have to buy a cauldron I think we can scrape up enough to buy him for you. Consider it an early birthday present from me."

He watched in shock as she walked boldly into the store and purchased the owl for him. Today was turning into a shocking day all together. He hadn't expected her to buy him anything that he wanted. But here she was handing him the cage to his first owl. He looked at the owl fondly as it blinked back at him.

"What are you going to name him?" his mother asked him.

"Bacon," was the resolute reply.

She nodded as they made their way to their last stop of the day. "We have on last stop for today, Severus." she told him. "Are you ready for your surprise?"

Nodding in excitement he looked up at the Wizarding Bank that loomed large overhead. He wondered if he had any money in that bank besides his parents money. He followed his mother as she made her way up to one of the unoccupied goblins.

"We're here to collect something from the Prince vault," she told the goblin. "My name is Eileen Prince."

The goblin nodded. "Right this way, Miss Prince," he said as he lead them to what looked like a little sled.

The ride to the vault was the most exciting thing that young Severus Snape had ever experienced in his whole life. He really didn't want it to come to an end. But end it did. He sighed as he joined his mother and the goblin in front of the vault. The goblin opened the vault and left them to it.

"My surprise is in here?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded as she walked over to the centuries old cauldron that sat in one of the corners of the vault. "This is it. This cauldron has been passed down from generation to generation of Princes. It's been in the family for centuries, son. And now I pass it down to you. So you can learn to brew potions in class and possibly brew potions of your own creation."

"Thank you, Mummy," he whispered as he looked at his surprise. Maybe this would all work out for the best he thought as they made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron so they could return home. It couldn't get much worse. Could it?

 **I hope you all enjoyed The Prince Family Cauldron. It was kind of interesting to explore the world of a young Severus Snape. I've never actually written a story solely about Severus Snape before so I hope I got it right.**


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